Yip hands over keys for 'HGTV Urban Oasis Giveaway 2011'

Thursday, Dec. 29 on HGTV, a long process comes to a culmination with the "HGTV Urban Oasis Giveaway 2011," in which designer Vern Yip shows how one lucky viewer was awarded a lavish apartment at the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago.

Donald Trump is the developer behind the skyscraper -- which combines condos and a hotel -- and it has previous TV ties. Bill Rancic, now the star of Style Network's "Giuliana & Bill," was chosen to manage the tower's construction after winning the first season of Trump's competitive reality series "The Apprentice.""It's a really amazing, spectacular unit," says Yip, "with views of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, close to downtown. It's an incredible building and so ideally situated, because it's just steps away from everything you want to do in Chicago.

"I had the privilege of getting to completely design the unit. I tried to stick to local home-decor stores, as opposed to a big chain. I just wanted to be inspired by things that were authentically Chicago."

Yip is a big fan of the Windy City, and he's also a fan of the winner, Deborah Robertson of Baltimore.

"She registered every single day for the entire entry period," Yip says, "which I love, because it shows you the determination. She thoroughly wanted it, and she could not be nicer or sweeter.

"I was also given the privilege being able to meet her up in Chicago and actually hand her the keys to the unit. You can imagine how life-changing that is."